NWS Hanford Skywarn FAQ

Winter Returns Across the Northern Tier; Record Warmth for the Southwest

A large high pressure system will usher in cold air for this first day of March across the northern Plains, Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Some wintry precipitation may evolve across the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic through Monday. Meanwhile, record warmth will spread across the Southwest, southern Plains through early this week. Read More >

San Joaquin Valley/Hanford Weather Service Forecast Office

Frequently Asked Questions
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What is my spotter ID number? Do I get an ID card?
NWS Hanford does not issue certificates or ID cards for spotters, and we do not use spotter ID numbers.

Do I need an amateur radio license to be a storm spotter?
It depends on your community and how involved you want to be. You don’t have to be an amateur radio operator to make a severe weather report, but many spotter networks are made up of dedicated amateur radio operators who use radio to coordinate their local network and to relay reports to the NWS. If you’re interested in learning more about amateur radio, visit this site.

Spotter Training Live Course

Forecasters from the National Weather Service in Hanford conduct storm spotter training sessions each year to help prepare spotters for the upcoming severe weather season. The NWS conducts the training at the invitation of local emergency management officials who organize the training and who, in most cases, are responsible for maintaining their local storm spotter network. Most sessions are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about being a spotter, but you should check to be sure before attending a class.

Our live training sessions are approximately 1.5 hours in length. This goal of the training is to train spotter to assist local officials and the NWS with early detection of severe weather, and provide ground truth during severe weather events. The learning objectives of both our live and web based training are:

• Understand the how the NWS Integrated Warning System works and how the spotter fits into this system

• Identify the ingredients needed for organized thunderstorms

• Recognize the visual and environmental clues suggestive of severe weather

• Distinguish between legitimate clues and non-significant features associated with severe weather

• Learn how to stay safe when storm spotting

• Learn proper storm reporting procedures